Paul is a leading silk with over 30 years’ experience in both Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury Litigation as junior counsel and in silk.
Described as ‘top drawer silk with a real desire to fight and win the difficult case’ Paul is regularly recognised for his ‘pragmatic advice and excellent client manner’. His cross examination and negotiating skills are described as ‘formidable’, his knowledge ‘encyclopaedic’ and he is a favourite of instructing solicitors due to his ‘genuine commitment to clients’.
Paul has received many instructions involving medical accidents/injury. The following are examples of instructions received in the last 3 years:
- Failure in a GP’s practice to recognise/diagnose symptoms of meningitis.
- Failure at hospital to recognise signs of serious respiratory distress in an infant resulting in a pharyngeal abscess, hypoxia and catastrophic brain damage.
- Failure to place patient suffering from severe psychosis under strict observation leading her to abscond and attempt suicide with catastrophic consequences.
Recommendations
“His cross-examination is an art form.” “Paul is tactically great.” “Paul is an experienced litigator.”
Chambers UK 2023 - Clinical Negligence
“Paul is very efficient, hugely experienced and gets right to the heart of a case.”
Legal 500 2023 - Clinical Negligence
“A very experienced silk who is knowledgeable in a wide range of matters. He is analytical and considered in his advice and excellent with medical experts. He gets to the crux of the issue quickly and tackles problems head on.” “He is very good at finding the key point of evidence.”
Chambers UK 2022 - Clinical Negligence
“Paul is particularly adept at getting right to the heart of the case, clients and opponents appreciate the directness of his approach.”
Legal 500 2022 - Clinical Negligence
“A very experienced silk who is very knowledgeable, analytical and considered in his advice. He is excellent with medical experts and tackles problems head-on.”
Chambers UK 2021 - Clinical Negligence
Notable Cases
KF v City Hospital Birmingham
2018
Failure to diagnose and treat a twisted bowel post birth leading to small bowel, liver and pancreas transplants. Life limiting condition.
B v University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
2017
Alleged negligent treatment of congenital condition resulting in quadriplegia (locked in syndrome).
MP v University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust
2017
Alleged failure to diagnose pharyngeal abscess resulting in oxygen starvation, cardiac arrest and catastrophic injury.
Anderson v Stewart
2016
Alleged failure of GP’s practice nurse to refer claimant to doctor for diagnosis: meningitis.
Sawyer-Simmons v Northwest London Hospitals NHS Trust
Negligent renal treatment over a number of years leading to kidney transplant. Settled on lump sum basis with provisional damages to abide the chance of further transplants and the risk of a range of disabling and potentially fatal conditions arising from lifelong use of immunosuppressant drugs.
Joplin v Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust (with Emma Brown)
2010
Claimant with Parkinson’s Disease. Rendered tetraplegic as a result of delay in diagnosing spinal abscess after admission to hospital. Issues on causation of tetraplegia and long term prognosis in light of Parkinson’s.
Evans v West Midlands Strategic Health Authority and Walsall Manor Hospital and NHS Trust
2009
Very young girl: failure to diagnose meningitis while in hospital and subsequent negligent surgery to excise dermal cyst. Brain damage: neuropathic bladder and bowels as well as hemiplegia. Issues on liability of community health physician failing to discover sinus at six week check up and thereafter diagnosis of meningitis after admission to hospital. Liability admitted for negligent surgery to deal with dermal cyst and eventually for failure to diagnose meningitis while an inpatient.
Appointments
Recorder
Part Time Judge of the First Tier Property Tribunal (Agricultural and Drainage)
Bencher of Inner Temple
Member of the Personal Injury Bar Association
Qualifications
LLB (Hons)
